Posts by ibrowshttp://www.thejc.com/user/feed/3824
RSS feed of user postsenBreaking the Silencehttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/breaking-silence
<p>With the Breaking the Silence organisation set to publish a book in Hebrew on 21st December (with an English tranlsation to follow next year), all those who condemned the Israeli soldiers outspoken remarks and testimonies of atrocities in the occupied Palestinian territories, simply as they were made anonymously, will finally have to sit-up and take notice and recognise the truth of these soldiers testimonies.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/our-lives-became-something-wed-never-dreamt-the-former-israeli-soldiers-who-have-testified-against-army-abuses-2154663.html" title="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/our-lives-became-something-wed-never-dreamt-the-former-israeli-soldiers-who-have-testified-against-army-abuses-2154663.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/our-lives-became-som...</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/breaking-silence#commentsMon, 13 Dec 2010 08:24:18 +0000ibrows42467 at http://www.thejc.comcontinuation of illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank, and Obama's weaknesses lead to collapse of peace talks once againhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/continuation-illegal-israeli-settlements-west-bank-and-obamas-weaknesses-lead-collapse-peac
<p>Netanyahu has failed to extend the settlement freeze, revealing Israel is more interested in seizing more Palestinian land, than creating a viable peace deal. How can negotiations continue about a lasting peace deal, while simulateously Israel continues to illegally occupy more and more Palestinian land. The talks are effectively dead in the water, which is precisely what many on the Israeli side, including the settlers hoped to achieve all along.</p>
<p>Obama's position in the 'peace talks' charade is revealed in a letter he sent to Netanyahu, the letter discloses the power relations which exist, that make a total mockery of the US claims to be a honest broker for peace, with Israel strongly supporting the Israeli position of continued illegal settlements and the continuation of the occupation. </p>
<p>In the letter Obama offered Bibi, in exchange for a two-month continuation of the settlement freeze, the following: </p>
<p>'the US promised to veto any UN Security Council proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over the next year, and committed to not seek any further extensions of the freeze. The future of the settlements would be addressed only in a final agreement'.</p>
<p>'The White House would also allow Israel to keep a military presence in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley, even after the creation of a Palestinian state; continue controlling the borders of the Palestinian territories to prevent smuggling; provide Israel with enhanced weapons systems, security guarantees and increase its billions of dollars in annual aid; and create a regional security pact against Iran'.</p>
<p>Clearly Obama is not an honest broker for peace, but unconditionally supports the Israelis and merely seeks to keep the charade of peace talks going on long enough to personally reach the US Congressional elections in November.</p>
<p>'The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last Friday that senior White House officials were no longer “buying the excuse of politicial difficulties” for Netanyahu in holding his rightwing governing coalition together. If he cannot keep his partners on board over a short freeze on illegal settlement building, what meaningful permanent concessions can he make in the talks?' </p>
<p>Netanyahu rejected the US plans even though the actually proposal would have meant Israel making absolutely no concessions, other than agreeing to attend 2 more months of meaningless meetings in which they would as usual refuse to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and then blame Abbas (as usual) for the failures to reach a deal.</p>
<p>'The disclosures were made by an informed source: David Makovsky, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a close associate of Dennis Ross, Obama’s chief adviser on the Middle East, who is said to have initiated the offer. The letter’s contents have also been partly confirmed by Jewish US senators who attended a briefing last week from Ross'.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/cook10042010.html" title="http://www.counterpunch.org/cook10042010.html">http://www.counterpunch.org/cook10042010.html</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/continuation-illegal-israeli-settlements-west-bank-and-obamas-weaknesses-lead-collapse-peac#commentsWed, 06 Oct 2010 13:18:04 +0000ibrows39024 at http://www.thejc.comhunger and malnourishment rates increasing in Gaza, states World Health Organisationhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/hunger-and-malnourishment-rates-increasing-gaza-states-world-health-organisation
<p>"Sometimes, for a day or two we don't even have bread, nor flour to make bread. There's a store nearby that, when we are truly desperate, lets us take a bag of bread or something simple, on credit. I owe them a lot of money for the food I've brought from them, but I still can't pay them," states Umm Khamis Khattab who lives in Gaza's Bureij refugee camp and has no source of income.</p>
<p>The World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) define food insecurity as people not having "adequate physical, social or economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs." In the Gaza Strip, where unemployment levels soar up to 65 percent, and more than 80 percent people are food aid dependent, the average income per day per person is just two dollars. According to the WFP and FAO, the food insecure in Gaza are an alarming 61 percent, with another 16 percent vulnerable to food insecurity.</p>
<p>With food prices highly inflated under the siege Israel has imposed on Gaza since shortly after Hamas's election in 2006, few families can afford meats, fish, or fresh produce. The 2008-2009 Israeli war on Gaza further destroyed meat and poultry production besides devastating the agricultural sector. Ten percent of poultry and 17 percent of cattle and ruminants were killed. Eighteen percent of Gaza's productive agricultural lands were destroyed, along with another 17 percent of greenhouse-grown vegetables, says the United Nations (UN).</p>
<p>The combination of this agricultural destruction and the mortal Israeli imposition of a no-go zone on Gaza's border lands, encompassing roughly one-third of Gaza's arable land means that as of June 2009, 46 percent of agricultural land in Gaza was either inaccessible or out of production, impacting on the availability of fresh and nutritious produce in the Strip and affecting over 60,000 people earning a living from agriculture alone.</p>
<p>At the same time, fishermen are restricted by Israel to fishing within a mile of Gaza's shores during to Israeli imposed restrictions. While the Oslo accords granted Gazan fishermen the right to fish 20 nautical miles off Gaza 's coast, Israel has incrementally and violently reduced the fishing limits.</p>
<p>The FAO reports a decline in total fishing catch by 47 percent between 2008 and 2009, with fishers subject to daily shooting from Israeli gunboats in Gazan water.</p>
<p>"Every day in Gaza, more and more people become hungry, more new people come for help," says Dr. Al-Wahaidi, Director of Health for Ard al-Insan, Gaza's prime centre for the hungry and malnourished. "And there's no difference between city dwellers and camp residents, except that maybe camp families have more of a social network to rely on, and country residents have more possibilities for growing produce for themselves."</p>
<p>According to Amani Jouda, Nutrition Officer for the World Health Orgnanisation (WHO) in Gaza, 74 percent of children aged 9-12 months are anaemic, up from 65 percent in 2009, as are another 32 percent of children aged 7-15 years, and 45 percent of pregnant women in their first months of pregnancy.</p>
<p>The UN Millennium Project Hunger Task Force cites the importance of local agriculture and livestock in reducing hunger.</p>
<p>Ard al-Insan's Dr. Al-Wahaidi sees it clearly. "The main reason for hunger in Gaza is Israeli politics on the people Gaza. Gaza is different than other places. When we have a disaster, we cannot leave our small piece of land to find work or safety elsewhere. We are trapped inside." </p>
<p>(This is an edited, version of the article, referenced below, its been edited for clarity)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52996" title="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52996">http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52996</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/hunger-and-malnourishment-rates-increasing-gaza-states-world-health-organisation#commentsThu, 30 Sep 2010 09:18:11 +0000ibrows38931 at http://www.thejc.comJewish Boat to Gaza sets sail from Cyprushttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/jewish-boat-gaza-sets-sail-cyprus
<p>A boat carrying aid for Gaza's population and organized by Jewish groups worldwide has set sail from Cyprus.</p>
<p>The boat, Irene, is sailing under a British flag and is carrying ten passengers and crew, including Jews from the US, the UK, Germany and Israel as well as an Israeli journalist.</p>
<p>The boat's cargo includes symbolic aid in the form of children's toys and musical instruments, textbooks, fishing nets for Gaza's fishing communities and prosthetic limbs for orthopaedic medical care in Gaza's hospitals.</p>
<p>The receiving organization in Gaza is the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, directed by Gaza psychiatrist Dr. Eyad Sarraj.</p>
<p>The boat will attempt to reach the coast of Gaza and unload its aid cargo in a nonviolent, symbolic act of solidarity and protest - and call for the siege to be lifted to enable free passage of goods and people to and from the Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>The boat will fly multicolored peace flags carrying the names of dozens of Jews who have expressed their support for this action, as a symbol of the widespread support for the boat by Jews worldwide.</p>
<p>Speaking from London, a member of the organizing group, Richard Kuper of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, said today that the Jewish Boat to Gaza is a symbolic act of protest against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the siege of Gaza, and a message of solidarity to Palestinians and Israelis who seek peace and justice.</p>
<p>'Israeli government policies are not supported by all Jews,' said Kuper. 'We call on all governments and people around the world to speak and act against the occupation and the siege.'</p>
<p>Regarding the threat of interception by the Israeli navy, Kuper said 'This is a nonviolent action. We aim to reach Gaza, but our activists will not engage in any physical confrontation and will therefore not present the Israelis with any reason or excuse to use physical force or assault them.'</p>
<p>Passenger Reuven Moskovitz, 82, said that his life's mission has been to turn foes into friends. "We are two peoples, but we have one future", he said.</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/jewish-boat-gaza-sets-sail-cyprus#commentsMon, 27 Sep 2010 10:01:26 +0000ibrows38719 at http://www.thejc.comRemembering Yad Vashem and Deir Yassinhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/remembering-yad-vashem-and-deir-yassin
<p>Despite the fact that the Israeli historian Benny Morris confirms in his book: 1984 and after, that: ‘Jewish military operations indeed accounted for 70% of the Arab exodus’ (page 101) in 1948. The Israeli state refuses to acknowledge this. Likewise, Morris states in the Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem revisited, that the massacre at Deir Yassin, had the most lasting effect of any single event of the war in precipitating the Palestinian exodus' (page 237). Now i appreciate this may be difficult to accept for those who adhere to 'Israel is beyond criticism tribe', but this evidence is derived by Morris from Israeli archives.</p>
<p>Over 100 Palestinians died at Deir Yassin. But what makes this massacre at Deir Yassin even more shocking is that more than sixty years on, there is still a total denial by Israel that it took place, a total silencing of the memories of the more than a hundred Palestinians who lost their lives. The process of eliminating and burying this history was subsequently extended when Jews resettled this land. The centre of Deir Yassin was renamed Kfar Shaul, and Deir Yassin like many other Palestinian villages was literally wiped off the map. As Jerusalem expanded, the lands of Deir Yassin became a part of the city and it is now known simply as the area between Givat Shaul and the settlement of Har Nof. </p>
<p>The Deir Yassin remembered organization seeks to construct a memorial at Deir Yassin, in West Jerusalem to resurrect the memories of the massacre. The holocaust memorial at Yad Vashem names all the Jews that died at the hands of the Nazis creating a living memory of those whose graves are unknown. From Vad Vashem you can gaze 1,500 yards to the north and see the site of Deir Yassin, the site of the unacknowledged and silenced massacre. Much of the actual village of Deir Yassin (although renamed) remains intact, in the form of a mental hospital in the Givat Shaul district of West Jerusalem. Palestinian buildings can be distinguished through their distinct style and colour. They are surrounded by the Orthodox Jewish settlement of Har Nof and the industrial area of Givat Shaul. There are no markers, no plaques, and no memorials at Deir Yassin. </p>
<p>According to Marc H. Ellis, Israel’s refusal to allow a Deir Yassin memorial reflects Netanyahu’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: </p>
<p>‘Could the refusal to remember the destruction of Palestine, illustrated historically in the massacre of Deir Yassin and embodied by millions of stateless Palestinians today, mandate in the future a further cleansing of memory through expansion and even transfer of parts of the Palestinian population? Refusing a historical memorial is simply one step towards refusing to countence the contemporary markers of the historical ongoing event of denial and displacement. Could the refusal to commemorate Deir Yassin signal a refusal to end the cycle of ongoing expansion and displacement?’. </p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/remembering-yad-vashem-and-deir-yassin#commentsThu, 23 Sep 2010 15:37:23 +0000ibrows38684 at http://www.thejc.comDouble Nuclear standards once again by Israelhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/double-nuclear-standards-once-again-israel
<p>The US has claimed that the 'Arab states' pressing for a resolution to call on Israel to sign up to a Non-Proliferation treaty, are 'hampering the Middle East peace talks'. Totally amazing how the US can make such a statement and then go on about its fears of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Israel continues to claim the position of 'nuclear ambiguity', neither confirming or denying the widely acknowledged fact that it has nuclear weapons. </p>
<p>If its acceptable for Israel to have these weapons, or to claim 'nuclear ambiguity' then surely Iran is entitled to do the same. You cannot condemn one nation for having nuclear weapons and then enable another to flout these rules and do as they wish without criticism. </p>
<p>And lets be clear, out of Iran and Israel, the latter is the country that has occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, that subjects Palestinians to checkpoints and movement restrictions that means they require Israeli issued permits to go about their daily lives, clearly a nuclear armed Israel is equally a treat to middle east peace, but once again we see the US-Israeli double standards at play.</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/double-nuclear-standards-once-again-israel#commentsThu, 23 Sep 2010 09:05:21 +0000ibrows38678 at http://www.thejc.comDid anyone catch 'Beyond Belief' on radio 4 it was discussing ultra Orthodox Jewish Communities http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/did-anyone-catch-beyond-belief-radio-4-it-was-discussing-ultra-orthodox-jewish-communities
<p>you can catch it on listen again</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tt537" title="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tt537">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tt537</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/did-anyone-catch-beyond-belief-radio-4-it-was-discussing-ultra-orthodox-jewish-communities#commentsMon, 20 Sep 2010 15:58:19 +0000ibrows38437 at http://www.thejc.comDéjà vu as continued illegal Jewish settlements undermine the peace talkshttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0-vu-continued-illegal-jewish-settlements-undermine-peace-talks
<p>It didn't take long... The US is pressurising Abbas to continue with the so-called 'peace talks' even though 80 illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank are just about to be expanded. The US and Israel, hand in hand, once again setting the agenda, and dictating terms they know are impossible for Abbas to accept. How can you believe Israel seriously wants peace, and to negotiate the creation of a viable two-state solution, whilst it continues simultaneously illegally expanding and seizing Palestinian land. </p>
<p>Israel is also reportedly pushing for Ariel, a large illegal Jewish settlement, to be annexed to Israel in any agreement, again, evidence that Israel is totally not interested in peace, but legitimizing territory it has illegally seized from the Palestinians.</p>
<p>Last time you may remember it was the expansion of 900 housing units in the Gilo settlement, in East Jerusalem during the 'peace talks'. Plus amongst others, in September 2009, Israel announced plans to build 486 flats in Pisgat Zeev, East Jerusalem, in defiance of US opposition, just days after sanctioning 455 new housing units to be constructed in the West Bank. </p>
<p>It seems as though history is repeating itself, and Israel will continue construction of illegal settlements on Palestinian land, yet seek to lay the blame squarely on Abbas for the complete failure of the peace talks. Israel does not have the right to dictate the terms of the peace talks and blatantly continue in defiance of International law, by building and expanding illegal settlements. A collapse of these talks could trigger a third intifada, therefore its in both the Palestinians and Israeli's interests to push for a genuine peace deal, a viable Palestinian state, and for Israel to withdraw to the legal pre-1967 borders</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0-vu-continued-illegal-jewish-settlements-undermine-peace-talks#commentsFri, 03 Sep 2010 17:43:31 +0000ibrows37605 at http://www.thejc.comInternational pressure upon Israel is rising as peace talks approachhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/international-pressure-upon-israel-rising-peace-talks-approach
<p>As i have noted on these pages previously, Israel has got itself into a difficult position, it will not accept a one-state solution, for fear that Palestinians high birth rates would undermine its desired notion of Israel as an exclusively 'Jewish' state. Furthermore, accepting a two-state solution would require Israel to withdraw from illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, again, Israel would find it difficult to give up this territory it has illegally seized and sought to annex into its borders. </p>
<p>So, the solution is either to withdraw from settlements to the legal pre-1967 borders, or if you favour a peaceful one-state solution Israel must accept it cannot continue as a 'Jewish state' and must uphold the rights of its all population regardless of religion or ethnicity. </p>
<p>If in the coming so-called 'peace talks', Israel refuses to accept either option, and continues slowly expelling Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem, and altering facts on the ground, the state of Israel cannot protest if international condemnation increases. The tide is slowly turning, the world will no longer accept Israel's colonisation and occupation of the Palestinian territories and the creation of Jewish settlements on this occupied land. </p>
<p>Many Israeli's have refused to perform in the settlements of Ariel, as they claim this would amount to 'legitimizing' the occupation and illegal settlement. Likewise, The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) announced divestment from two Israeli companies, Africa Israel Investments and Danya Cebus, due to their involvement in the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank. This comes only a year after the GPFG divested from Elbit Systems Ltd., the Israeli defense firm involved in the construction of the Separation Wall. </p>
<p>Harvard Management Company, which manages the university’s endowment, has also divested the fund from all investments it had in Israel companies, during the second quarter of this year. The divested stocks include TEVA, a generic drug manufacturer, that has greatly benefited from Israel’s strangulation of several Palestinian pharmaceutical companies, Checkpoint Securities, which provided many of the technologies Israel uses humiliate, screen, and search Palestinians at road blocks, and Cellcom, a wireless communications company that provide communication services to the army, among others.</p>
<p>In Dec 2009, The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) issued voluntary guidance to UK supermarkets stating labels should differentiate between "Israeli settlement produce" and "Palestinian produce". </p>
<p>Israel must end the occupation of the Palestinians teritories or get used to facing this rising international isolation and condemnation for the crimes it continues to commit in the Palestinian occupied territories. </p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/international-pressure-upon-israel-rising-peace-talks-approach#commentsMon, 30 Aug 2010 19:07:47 +0000ibrows37375 at http://www.thejc.comInstitute for Jewish Policy Research publishes survey on British-Jews attitudes towards Israeli state policieshttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/institute-jewish-policy-research-publishes-survey-british-jews-attitudes-towards-israeli-st
<p>I saw this in Haaretz and thought of all you open minded, independent and free thinking individuals on the JC blog, notably Jon and Jonathan. It appears that the blind following of Israeli policies as 'always automatically right' and labeling of any criticism of Israel as 'anti-semitic' and 'anti-Israel' may be confined to the Jewish Chronicle, at least amongst Jews within Britain.</p>
<p>4,000 British Jews responded to the survey that examined their attitudes towards the Israeli state. Large numbers of the Jews polled had visited Israel (95%), and 72% described themselves as Zionists. Nevertheless, it appears some British Jews can be critical of Israeli policies (i guess Jon and Jonathan were not polled??). </p>
<p>78% supported the two-state solution, 74% were against increasing West Bank settlements, 67% favoured a land for peace deal, and 52% supported negotiations with Hamas in order to achieve peace.</p>
<p>but i guess these British Jews who can criticise Israeli policies will simply be dismissed as 'self-hating Jews?'</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/anshel-pfeffer-poll-u-k-jews-support-israel-but-want-hamas-talks-1.306292" title="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/anshel-pfeffer-poll-u-k-jews-support-israel-but-want-hamas-talks-1.306292">http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/anshel-pfeffer-poll-u-k-jews-s...</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/institute-jewish-policy-research-publishes-survey-british-jews-attitudes-towards-israeli-st#commentsFri, 06 Aug 2010 08:06:30 +0000ibrows36608 at http://www.thejc.comEthnic Cleansing: Erased Bedouin village of Walaja to be replaced by Jewish settlement of Givat Yael http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/ethnic-cleansing-erased-bedouin-village-walaja-be-replaced-jewish-settlement-givat-yael
<p>Ari Hart's guest column in the Jerusalem post raises many important questions relating to Israel's raid on a Bedouin village this week. Israel razed around 40 homes belonging to the residents of this 'unrecognised village', despite the Bedouin living in the Negev prior to the creation of Israel. This act of destruction has left around 300 Bedouin homeless. The JNF will facilitate the transfer of this Bedouin land to Jewish settlers in an attempt to 'Judaise' the land. The proposed Jewish settlement of Givat Yael, if it goes ahead will build 1,200 homes, some of them directly on top of existing homes in Walaja. As such, the Israeli state is engaged in Ethnic Cleansing the systematic removal of Palestinians in order to replace them with Jewish residents, wiping out generations of history in the process.</p>
<p>Below is a section of Ari Hart's article:</p>
<p>''SOME MIGHT look at this situation and see the government protecting its citizens, with unfortunate collateral damage. Some see this story as part of a systemic plan to eliminate one of the few remaining Arab villages between Gilo and Gush Etzion. Others might see this story as a result of all-too-familiar Israeli bureaucratic confusion and red tape. Whatever political lens you look though, the results are the same: we are suffocating the village of Walaja.</p>
<p>If you believe that all Palestinians must permanently leave Israel and the West Bank, then perhaps Walaja’s suffocation is no big deal. But if you believe, like me, that Palestinians aren’t going to just disappear, then this situation should worry you. If you believe that as Jews we must hold our state to the highest possible standards of compassion and justice, this situation should anger you.</p>
<p>And if you believe that there are Israelis and Palestinians who want to lead normal lives in peace with their neighbors, but that possibility is slipping away, then Walaja should worry you.</p>
<p>Calling for change in Walaja does not undermine the death and pain of thousands of Israelis who have been killed or hurt by Palestinian violence. It does not undermine Israel’s right to exist or moral standing in the world. On the contrary, Walaja as it stands now undermines our own moral standing. The difficulties villagers face in building homes and getting residency rights support those who claim that Israel is functioning as an occupation state smothering Palestinian existence. The isolation of Walaja and the confiscation of farmlands, coupled with its proximity to surrounding Gilo and Har Gilo, strengthens the voices who say that the security barrier is functioning as a land grab.</p>
<p>If the village of Walaja is a security threat, why have we waited four years into its construction to finish the wall’s completion? And what is the relationship between Givat Yael, the proposed settlement that shows plans for 1,200 homes, some of them directly on top of existing homes in Walaja, and Walaja’s current suffocation?</p>
<p>Do we have the moral courage to take a hard look at the effects of our own policies?</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong: Our security concerns are very real. We have very real enemies who want to destroy our state and our people. Paraphrasing the sage Hillel, “If we are not for ourselves, who will be for us?” We must also remember, though, that the lives of the villagers in Walaja are real too. “If we are only for ourselves, what are we?”</p>
<p>At this moment, we are engaged in a process of encircling a village with walls and turning it into a ghetto, denying people access to their land, livelihoods and bones of their ancestors, completely disregarding the lives of the human beings living under Israeli jurisdiction.</p>
<p>“If not now, when?”'' </p>
<p><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=183031" title="http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=183031">http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=183031</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/ethnic-cleansing-erased-bedouin-village-walaja-be-replaced-jewish-settlement-givat-yael#commentsSat, 31 Jul 2010 14:06:05 +0000ibrows36380 at http://www.thejc.comIsrael expels Bedouin from their homes to replace them with Jewish settlers, despite the residents winning court appealhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/israel-expels-bedouin-their-homes-replace-them-jewish-settlers-despite-residents-winning-co
<p>1,500 Israeli police evicted 300 residents who lived in 40 homes in the Al-Araqib village on Tuesday morning. These Bedouin were one of the 'unrecognised' Bedouin villages in southern Israel. The demolitions were cleared by the Israeli government to enable the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to construct a forest on this land, despite the residents winning a court appeal to overturn the original decision to seize their land and raze their homes.</p>
<p>The Bedouin were designated as 'unrecognised' after 1948, but have lived on this land, prior to the creation of Israel. The Israeli government has continually tried to force them to relocate in order to seize the land, as such the community is provided no healthcare, nor basic facilitates. Tens of thousands of Bedouin were resettled by the Israeli state in the 1960's and 70's after promises they would receive services if they agreed to move.</p>
<p>In 2005 the Jewish National Fund announced plans to bring 250-000-500,000 new Jewish settlers into the Negev through the Blueprint Negev. This led to opposition from Bedouin rights groups concerned that these plans were led by demographic considerations whereby Bedouin will be removed and replaced by exclusively Jewish settlers that seek to counter-balance the rising Bedouin birth rates. This is clearly an systematic attempt to 'Judaise' the Negev and expel the residents from land that have lived on for generations, instead the Israeli state seeks to replace them with Jewish settlers.</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/israel-expels-bedouin-their-homes-replace-them-jewish-settlers-despite-residents-winning-co#commentsWed, 28 Jul 2010 12:57:32 +0000ibrows36238 at http://www.thejc.comNetanyahu: ''Israel must hit the Palestinians hard... the world will say nothing''http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/netanyahu-israel-must-hit-palestinians-hard-world-will-say-nothing
<p>Netanyahu scores massive own goal, as footage is leaked of him admitting he ended the Oslo peace process. </p>
<p>In the footage Netanyahu states: Israel must hit the Palestinians hard 'so the pain is unbearable'... 'the world will say nothing, the world will say we are defending ourselves'... lastly concerning minor withdrawals from the West Bank he states 'the trick is to pay a minimal price' (referring to 2% withdrawal in the West Bank). These minor withdrawals were publicly reported as a 'great concession' while simultaneous illegal Jewish settlement expansion rose dramatically during Oslo. </p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/netanyahu-israel-must-hit-palestinians-hard-world-will-say-nothing#commentsMon, 19 Jul 2010 21:12:40 +0000ibrows35861 at http://www.thejc.comNetanyahu affirms he 'destroyed the Oslo peace process'http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/netanyahu-affirms-he-destroyed-oslo-peace-process
<p>Netanyahu affirms he 'destroyed the Oslo peace process' - the admission was filmed without his knowledge and appeared on Israel’s Channel 10. In the footage of Nethanyhu visiting the Ofra settlement he states he deceived the US into believing he was implimenting the Oslo peace process by making minor withdrawals in the West Bank, while simulateously expanding the Israeli occupation. This difference between Netanyahu's 'public' stance with the US when pressured, and his actual implimentation of these policies remains a major barrier in achieving a lasting peace deal. Netanyahu has also agreed to the principle of a Palestinian state, yet continued sanctioning further settlements during the 'settlement freeze'.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16147" title="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16147">http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16147</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/netanyahu-affirms-he-destroyed-oslo-peace-process#commentsMon, 19 Jul 2010 18:57:40 +0000ibrows35859 at http://www.thejc.comWorld opinion is shifting - even Fox news reports that Palestinians are prevented from buying 80% of land in Jerusalemhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/world-opinion-shifting-even-fox-news-reports-palestinians-are-prevented-buying-80-land-jeru
<p><a href="http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/12/why-palestinians-cant-buy-land/" title="http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/12/why-palestinians-cant-buy-land/">http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/07/12/why-palestinians-cant-buy-...</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/world-opinion-shifting-even-fox-news-reports-palestinians-are-prevented-buying-80-land-jeru#commentsThu, 15 Jul 2010 18:53:57 +0000ibrows35785 at http://www.thejc.comIsrael demolishes Palestinians home in Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem - despite International condemnationhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/israel-demolishes-palestinians-home-beit-hanina-east-jerusalem-despite-international-condem
<p>Israel has demolished an inhabited Palestinian home in East Jerusalem for the first time in eight months, effectively ending an unofficial freeze of such internationally condemned demolitions. A Reuters photographer witnessed a Palestinian family removing its belongings from the house in East Jerusalem's Beit Hanina neighborhood before an Israeli excavator tore into the dwelling.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/for-first-time-in-nine-months-israel-razes-palestinian" title="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/for-first-time-in-nine-months-israel-razes-palestinian">http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/for-first-time-in-nine-mon...</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/israel-demolishes-palestinians-home-beit-hanina-east-jerusalem-despite-international-condem#commentsThu, 15 Jul 2010 16:32:28 +0000ibrows35783 at http://www.thejc.comThe continued blockade of Gaza is 'a flagrant violation of international law'http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/the-continued-blockade-gaza-a-flagrant-violation-international-law
<p>Amnesty International is one of many international human rights and aid organisations to call for the US government to pressure Israel to end the blockade of Gaza. The blockade continues to leave 1.4 million Gazan men, women and children blocked within the Gaza strip, where 4 out of 5 are dependent upon humanitarian aid. This amounts to a collective punishment and Amnesty International states 'Israel's continuing blockade of Gaza is a flagrant violation of international law'. </p>
<p>Furthermore, if Israel no longer occupies Gaza (which is what it claims) how can it prevent basic humanitarian goods and products such as medical supplies, foods and basic building materials from entering Gaza? What right does Israel have to prevent the Gazan population from accessing these basis rights. The 'for the safety of Israel' narrative does not hold up. Israel cannot justify the violation of international law, and the violation of human rights and the occupation of Gaza, all on the basis of 'protecting Israel'. Do the rights of the Gazan population not mean anything? It is not acceptable to collectively punish an entire population. The occupation of Gaza must end, Israel is unwittingly 'delegitimsing' its own state through breaking international law and human rights in Gaza.</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/the-continued-blockade-gaza-a-flagrant-violation-international-law#commentsThu, 15 Jul 2010 16:21:19 +0000ibrows35782 at http://www.thejc.comJewish chronicle censorship?http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/jewish-chronicle-censorship
<p>Since the afternoon following the Flotilla attack i have been unable to post on the Jewish chronicle blog or even access the website from my laptop, and can only access it now from other computers. Which begs the question has the Jewish Chronicle purposely tried to block my server or prevent me from accessing the website as it dislikes my posts.</p>
<p>Or is it purely ''coincidence'' that this has occurred exactly at the time when Israel has attempted to present a single 'Israel is never guilt of anything' narrative and discredit the ACTUAL FACTS of the brutal attack on humanitarian peace activists</p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/jewish-chronicle-censorship#commentsMon, 14 Jun 2010 10:48:44 +0000ibrows33001 at http://www.thejc.comfootage from the freedom fortilla - Israeli forces continue to fire after death of civilian and white flag is raisedhttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/footage-freedom-fortilla-israeli-forces-continue-fire-after-death-civilian-and-white-flag-r
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB-Mk4bFz-U&amp;feature=player_embedded" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB-Mk4bFz-U&amp;feature=player_embedded">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB-Mk4bFz-U&amp;feature=player_embedded</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/footage-freedom-fortilla-israeli-forces-continue-fire-after-death-civilian-and-white-flag-r#commentsMon, 31 May 2010 10:37:02 +0000ibrows32297 at http://www.thejc.comAmnesty International shatters myths to underline the stark humanitarian impact of the Israeli blockade of Gazahttp://www.thejc.com/blogpost/amnesty-international-shatters-myths-underline-stark-humanitarian-impact-israeli-blockade-g
<p>the Israeli propaganda machine has reached new heights, repeatedly attempting to depict the Flotilla as having associations with radical groups/terrorists, and being illegal. But if the occupation of Gaza has ended, as many like to believe, then why has Amnesty International reported that four out of five Gaza residents need humanitarian assistant, many are waiting for medical treatment and that at least 28 Palestinian have died awaiting medical treatment.</p>
<p>furthermore, the Amnesty International report stated: </p>
<p>‘Israel must end its suffocating blockade of the Gaza Strip, which leaves more than 1.4 million Palestinians cut off from the outside world and struggling with desperate poverty’. The report goes on to state that the blockade amounts to a 'COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT' of the Gazan population. </p>
<p>‘The reality is that the blockade does not target armed groups but rather punishes Gaza’s entire population by restricting the entry of food, medical supplies, educational equipment and building materials,” said Malcolm Smart, Middle East and North Africa Director, Amnesty International.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/israel039s-gaza-blockade-continues-suffocate-daily-life-20100118" title="http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/israel039s-gaza-blockade-continues-suffocate-daily-life-20100118">http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/israel039s-gaza-blockade-cont...</a></p>http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/amnesty-international-shatters-myths-underline-stark-humanitarian-impact-israeli-blockade-g#commentsSun, 30 May 2010 20:39:28 +0000ibrows32288 at http://www.thejc.com